Although there have
been quite a few ATV games on the XBox 360 and the PlayStation 3,
this franchise has suffered a rut in recent years… and the biggest
addition to the genre was that of Motorstorm and unfortunately Motorstorm
was a PS3 game. Thankfully for XBox 360 owners, Black Rock Studio have truly created a
revolutionary ATV experience that not only contains exceptional
graphics but also true next generation gameplay which thoroughly
immerses you into this exciting racing game that is true extreme
sports.

Players start by
choosing among a variety of male and female character riders.
They can then either race against deft A.I. opponents or online
players (up to 16-player multiplayer) in frenetic races and
freestyle competitions all over the world.

Pure features three
main modes of gameplay that include freestyle, race and
sprint. For
race, players must race against a variety of other opponents with
their goal being the first to cross the finishing line. Of course
you must use the revolutionary Pure gameplay to assist you in
crossing the finishing line by performing stunts and using nitro to
boost you along.

Freestyle
allows you to forgo the race aspect of the title and allows you to
concentrate on performing tricks only, match that with a variety of
power-ups littered through the gaming environment and it’s quite
an intense experience. Sprint on the other hand is similar to Race, however is an
abridged version of the race mode and is great for short races.
Ideal for gamers who only have a short time to play.

Pure contains a great single-player
mode that contains a World Tour with a variety of unlockable
circuits with different events that most seasoned gamers should have
no problem in knocking them over. The developers have also ensured
that there are a variety of unlockable items to be found.

For lovers of online, Pure allows you to
engage in all the different gameplay modes which includes freestyle,
race, sprint and lastly, match that with 16 players and you have
a truly entertaining online experience.

What sets this game apart from others in the genre is integration
system of stunts or "tricks" according to Pure which has been flawlessly inputted into the
gameplay. By performing a variety of over the top stunts based on
real-world tricks, players are awarded nitro which can then be used
to perform even more complicated and powerful stunts.

By using the analog stick on the
controller, you must time this correctly when you are about to go
over a jump which will increase how high in the air you will go.
Fortunately the title contains a mini tutorial level which will
teach you the basics of how to use this trick which the gaming
engine incorporates into the title.

As with games such as Tony Hawk, you
can even perform a variety of tricks one after another that is pure
ingenious in terms of gameplay. By ensuring that you mix
and match these tricks together, it will also assist you in obtaining
more nitro. Some of the stunts which are performed in Pure can only
be done through ridiculously high jumps and almost causes you
vertigo as you fly through the sky.

Graphically, Pure is one of the most impressive ATV games on the
market at the moment (Move over Motorstorm) and simply looks brilliant on the XBox 360 with
exceptionally sharp and colourful graphics. The attention to detail
is bliss and the vehicles look quite realistic and move with a
real-world grace. It's almost photorealistic in appearance.

The backgrounds,
although a little sparse at times are quite detailed but where the
title does excel is through its frame rate and draw distance which
goes hand-in-hand with the gameplay. The exceptional smooth frame
rate and very rare popups easily allows you to transform into the
rider you are controlling.

There are even some nice
special effects and lighting effects littered through the gaming
environment that provides the finishing touches on this addictive
and entertaining game.

Sound wise, Pure has a pumping
soundtrack which suits the extreme sports genre and contains 25
licensed songs to help plunge you into this adrenaline pumping
world. The sound effects of the vehicles are also quite detailed as
is the background ambience which of course includes crashes. It
should be noted that the title should be listened through a surround
sound setup to truly enjoy the racing and stunt experience.

At the end of the day, Pure is easily
one of the most entertaining racing games of the year which features
great gameplay, superb graphics and decent sound. Best of all, it
game can be played by casual to hardcore gamers and Black Rock
Studios have kept the title fun albeit a little frustrating but it's
one of the those games you can continue coming back to and match
that with online mode and Pure is brilliant!